Writing God’s Obituary: How a Good Methodist Became a Better Atheist

Leaving the church is rarely an easy decision; it’s usually one marked by serious contemplation and heartfelt soul-searching. And for Anthony Pinn, a former minister and passionate preacher of the Word, the journey to atheism was a long, winding, and difficult road.

Writing God’s Obituary is the story of the slow and steady rise and fall of one man’s belief in God and Christianity. With honesty, heart, and no little touch of struggle, Pinn shares his experiences from early childhood through college and beyond. Everything from the disappointment and betrayal he felt in the church to the excitement and possibility when he quit rings true, and while his post-religious descriptions and opinions can often be harsh, the reader can tell his insights come from both a scholarly place and an emotional one.

I do wish there was a bit more insight into how he rationalizes speaking in tongues and his earlier religious experiences through the lens of an atheist. His journey is certainly interesting, but the author shies away from examining those moments in detail. Does he now consider them to be flights of fancy? The power of suggestion? Encouraged delusions? He never says, and the book suffers for it.